Where the Hawks Fly
by hawkstar2
Summary: Set after FANG, before ANGEL. Max is ridden with depression of Fang leaving; but what happens when she tracks him down and they meet again before the 20 year mark?
1. Decisions

**A/N:**

**DO NOT**** READ THIS IF YOU ****HAVE NOT FINISHED OR NOT READ FANG****!!!!**

_**THIS IS CRUCIAL!!!**_

**I WILL NOT BE BLAMED FOR SPOILING THE ENDING!!!**

Thank you.

**Other than that, enjoy! It's set after the end of FANG.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not James Patterson.**

Chapter One: Decisions

Fang POV

The cold night air swept around me and rustled the trees. I was in the darkness, which seemed to be the only safe place for me.

The figure in the window paced around the room again impatiently. A subtle dim light shone through the window. I wondered for a moment if there was a television on in the room.

But Max doesn't like television.

She stepped closer to the window and peered out into the woods. I panicked for a moment, thinking she could actually see me and come out here in a fury and ring me a new one.

But my supernatural hybrid blending played its role and I remained unnoticed.

The window opened and Max looked out. Thank goodness it wasn't that far of a fall if she decided to ditch her wings for some reason. Oh, wait, I guess that reason would be me.

This was the worst thing I've ever done to her. And it's tearing me apart inside too. I may just go live in that damn cave with the hawks and when she shows up, 'cuz you know she will early, just kinda be like, 'Oh yeah! I meant 20 hours!' But I don't think that'd fly well with her, no pun intended.

I looked up at the stars, about 3 am. Max hasn't been sleeping lately, and I don't even think she'd left her room. I felt like dying. This whole mess is entirely my fault. In the past few days I can't count how many times I'd came back to this very spot. Thank goodness Total and Akila aren't there to be able to pick-up my scent here.

I was planning on flying down to South America and taking up tourist info on the ancient ruins and Nazca lines, seeing as to how I have the advantage of flight.

But every time I got down to about Texas I couldn't take it any longer and turned back. I just need to see her take off one more time and actually get out of her room and not be a shut-in.

I didn't expect her to take it this way. I mean, of course I expected her to be devastated, but I thought she'd be more of in a fury, punching trees, breaking stuff, breaking her. I never expected her to turn into a complete social hermit.

Max inhaled and looked wistfully out the window over into the sky. There were no other lights on in the house but the dim glow in her room. I could only barely make out the outline of her face, but even from a distance I could tell that she had done a great deal of crying. I felt like my heart hit the soles of my feet. How could I have done this to her? To _us_?

I did it for the Flock.

My, God! I need to freaking go to sleep with that recorded and replaying. Us being apart, no matter how much hell it puts us through, is all for the better interest of the Flock as a whole.

I stopped day-dreaming when I heard the back door open and saw Max's tall, slim figure sneaking out. Why she bothered using the door was beyond me when she could've easily jumped out of her window, but whatever.

I stood stiffly against the thick trees and camouflaged myself among them. It would only be my luck that she would come this way and bump into me.

I watched as my Max moved across the small patio and leaned over the railing, her hair was flat and looked like it hadn't been washed in days. She was visibly thinner and it took all the willpower I had not to run up to her now and just hold her and put some food down her gullet.

Would this count as her leaving so I could be okay to go now without feeling guilty? No. Definitely not. I don't know how I'm ever going to forgive myself for this.

She looked seriously concentrated for a second, then fell like a stone onto the deck and began to sob like I'd never seen her do before.

Max POV

The chilly wind tousled my hair into even more of a mess than what it already was. I probably should like, bathe and eat sometime soon; but that was the last thing on the top of my agenda.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out Fang's letter, withered, crumpled, words smeared, the works, all in a matter of a few days.

Tears stung my eyes as memories flashed through my head:

"_You're late."_

_Fang stepped out of the shadows, eating an apple. He was dressed in black, as usual, and his face looked like a lumpy plum pie. But his eyes shone as he came toward me, and then I was running to him over the sand, my wings out in back of me._

_We smashed together awkwardly, with Fang standing stiffly for a moment, but then his arms slowly came around me, and he hugged me back. I held him tight, trying to swallow the lump of cotton in my throat, my head on his shoulder, my eyes squeezed shut._

"_Don't ever leave me again," I said in a tiny voice._

"_I won't," he promised into my hair, sounding most un-Fang-like. "I won't. Not ever."_

What happened to that promise?

I couldn't believe this. After everything that we've been through…everything!

Now this?

My eyes stung as I felt the all-too familiar rush of tears coming on. I hiccupped, I think, and crashed onto the deck, balling into the night.

I looked up into the tree-line, I don't know why, I just did.

Ohmygod.

Oh.

It must've been my eyes. I could've sworn I just saw Fang.

"Fang?" I croaked out in a whisper. I hadn't talked to anyone for days, my own voice surprised me.

But by the time I had stood-up, whatever was in the trees was now gone.

**A/N: This story will go on! Keep reading!**

** ~hawkstar2~**


	2. Lake Mead

**A/N: WOW!!! I'm shocked!! I didn't expect to get this many hits and great reviews in only one day! Just so you all know: you just like, made my entire weekend!! The more I plan with this story the more I like it, hopefully you will too! Thanks for reading, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not James Patterson, if I was I wouldn't have made Fang leave!!!**

Chapter Two: Lake Mead

Max POV

The longer I sat out on that godforsaken cold porch, one the colder I got, and two the more I felt like a wuss. I soon opted to sneak back into my house and return to my bedroom, and proceed to ignore the rest of the known world.

But, for the first time in quite a few days, my stomach growled and I gave-in. So on my way back to my room, I made a stop at the kitchen and pulled out one of the many Tupperware containers that were stacked in the fridge for me that I had since ignored. Bless the Flock that they thought ahead to save me food, but I only wished that they wouldn't save everything…we were running out of room for groceries.

I pulled-out a tub of Mac 'n cheese and popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds, then crawled onto the loveseat in the living room and slowly ate the left-over's. I was more ravenous than I'd thought, but I was starting to get sick already from way too many memories running through my head.

Speaking of things running through my head, the Voice hadn't been a nuisance lately. Maybe it's actually giving me some space for once…

"Max?"

I leapt out of the loveseat and nearly dumped the Mac 'n cheese all over the rug.

"Dylan?" Fabulous. The very last person I would ever want to be in a dark room alone with.

"Hey, you're out of your room!"

"Really? I didn't notice."

Silence.

"Do you want anything else to eat?"

I shook my head.

"Drink?"

"No. You know, that was a really stupid stunt you pulled."

"What?"

"When you jammed that needle into your arm. Why would you give them the satisfaction of offing yourself?"

"What do you mean the 'satisfaction'?"

"All they want to do is get in our heads, and if you go out pulling emo stunts like that, then they're going to think that they are actually getting somewhere…which is _not_ what we want."

"I'm sorry, Max. I didn't know what to do. I was made to be for you…but when I saw the way Fang always looked at you…I couldn't bring myself to it. I mean, yeah, I don't like the guy, but that's not entirely my fault. I think if we would've met on different terms, I dunno…"

"Did you see this coming?"

"What? Fang leaving?"

"Yes."

"No, I didn't."

"If I find out even the tiniest inkling that you did, and you didn't tell me…your throat is mine." Icicles stabbed my words into him. Dylan flinched and nodded. Good. I loved intimidation. "Is this clear?"

"Crystal, Max."

"Good."

"Uh, I'm gonna go back to bed now. Good night Max, it's good seeing you out of your room and eating."

"Hm."

Dylan turned and almost ran back to his room on the first floor, which happened to be the guest room. No way in hell was he getting Fang's old room.

Fang POV

After taking off from the house, yet again, I headed in the direction of Lake Mead. Aka, where we learned to fly with the hawks.

Once I got to the Cliffside where it seemed like so long ago Nudge and I shared chocolate and shish-ka-bobs. I kicked a few pebbles out of the way and sat down, letting my wings out to cool off in the night.

On the subject of that expedition, I remembered when Max found her chip at Dr. Martinez's clinic on the X-ray. How much hell had that little chip put us through? The terrible scene on the beach where Max tried to saw it out with a seashell. Me finding her with blood staining the sand beneath her.

Then flying to meet Dr. Martinez and holding Max's hand as she went under operation.

Her telling me she needed me, loved me, didn't want me to go…

Without thinking I slammed my fist into the stone behind me and howled in pain when I felt my knuckles pop and blood instantly started to flow. I really needed to get this whole punching inanimate objects thing down.

Punching yet another cave wall flooded me with recollection of when Max and I were looking for a place to settle and we kissed in the cave. Before I could tell her that I needed her, what does she do? Run away.

Now look at who ran. I can't believe I'm still doing this. It felt terrible when she left that night, I can't imagine how she must feel right now.

This is almost too much. Will it really take her twenty years to complete her mission? Was that way too much of a time gap? What if we aren't alive in twenty years, or if I'm not and she is? Or the other way around?

At least our last memory of each other we were having a good time. When Max walked down that aisle, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest. For a moment I even imagined and wished that it wasn't Total and Akila's wedding…

I rubbed my temples with my thumb and forefinger, and then flopped backwards, staring up at the stars.

My eyes slowly turned to slits as I began to drift to sleep.

Max POV

I finished the Mac 'n cheese and rinsed the tub with soap and water, placing it into the sink. Leaning on the sink I peered into the night.

I stood there for a few moments until it felt like my legs were stone. I began to trudge up the stairs to my room, unfortunately passing Fang's room, right across the hall from mine.

On a whim I spun and opened his door quietly. Then, tip-toeing, I crept across the carpet and laid down on his bed, still unmade, breathing in the still strong scent of him that lingered on the covers.

I moved my right hand onto the cover next to me, then reached over and played with the delicate ring on my finger, the only piece of fine jewelry I'd ever owned in my entire 15 years of life.

And what happens after I get my first nice piece of jewelry? The guy who gave it to me leaves.

After lying silently except for the occasional quivering breath, I slid off the bed, walked across the room, shut the door on my way out, and went back into my own room…only to go and open the window.

I turned and pulled on my windbreaker, got out a pen and paper, and scribbled:

_Flock~_

_I'm so sorry for being so selfish and self-centered lately. Don't be alarmed, I've just gone out for a little flight. I will be back home soon and will not intentionally put myself in any harm. Ha-ha. I'll be back before tomorrow night most likely. Much love, be careful. And PLEASE don't catch anything on fire._

_ All my love~ Max_

I left the note on my bed and crawled out the window with my destination in mind:

Lake Mead here I come.

**A/N: End of chapter two! I'll have three up soon. Reviews make my day! Thank you for reading, take care.**

** ~hawkstar2~**


	3. Distances

**A/N: Wow, people sign-on to this site really late! Lol. Okay, guilty as charged.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not James Patterson!**

Chapter Three: Distances

Iggy POV

I spun the track wheel on my iPod until I assumed I hit a random song and hit play. Pulling-off my shoes, I leaned back into the couch and stared at the ceiling.

At which point it occurred to me that I didn't know what the ceiling looked like.

Now I don't know exactly how many of you guys have this issue…

But if you do, I don't think many of you are fortunate enough for my solution.

Pulling my ear buds out, I laid my iPod on the couch, flexed my knees, shook out my wings, and soared into the air. With my arms semi-outstretched, I got to the top of the ceiling and grazed it with my fingers. Slightly textured, white-cream color, oh, there's a fan, so that's where it is…

Smiling with my new discovery, I descended onto the couch again and leaned back, re-adjusting my iPod and hitting _Shuffle_.

After a couple songs, my head became a dizzying whirl of memories. Different songs affixing to different memories. One in particular, Photograph by Nickelback, forced me to remember the birthday party when Fang bought Angel the camera, and we were to put the picture in Max's frame.

It has only been a few days since Fang's desertion. Max hasn't come out of her room, and we actually found a note on her bed this morning that explained that she was "just out for a flight". I'm just happy that she's actually out of her room. I also found the macaroni Tupperware tub in the sink this morning, which means one of two things:

1) Max ate;

2) Someone else ate it.

I can't help but feel mostly responsible for this all. Why couldn't I just accept the fact that they _finally_ got together? We all have known it would happen for like, ever. Why couldn't I just swallow my freaking pride and accept it? Why did I have to blow up on them? If only I didn't act like such an ass and just get used to the fact that they were together and things would be changing.

I mean, I accepted the fact of change that we actually have a _house_. Why was accepting Max and Fang together so damn hard?

Because it meant change for the entire Flock. Not just a stable house, but change within the people of the Flock.

A tear ran down my face as I realized what an ass I was and how undeniably responsible I was for most of this mess. If I just put up with it and diverted my attention to focusing on music or something…maybe Fang would still be here…

Nudge POV

The window in my room allowed the sweet breeze into it and made me even more miserable. I flipped over on my bed and logged-in to the blog. I had been following Fang's blog since he left, and so far no new posts. Plenty of his readers have left some pretty nasty comments like, "Where are you!?" "Did you leave us?" "Please update so we know you're alive!" "I love you!" I hope Max doesn't see that one…

So I have this crazy idea that maybe if I can follow Fang's blog then I'll be able to find him and get Max to get him back to the Flock, mostly for her sake.

I closed the laptop lid and rolled onto my belly and picked-up my _Cosmopolitan_ magazine and flipped to the article about sunglasses.

When my door suddenly opened I nearly fell off of my bed in surprise.

"Crap, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"What do you mean 'startle'? You can't 'startle' me. I was like, totally prepared for that." Frankly, Dylan was the last person I wanted to talk to right now.

"Well, I was, uh, just wondering how you were."

"Uh. Well, considering my brother just left my family and my sister is in a severe depression because the love of her life just walked out on her and the whole family is a big mess right now and I don't know if we are ever going to be together and happy ever again and I'm really scared because I just want things to be like they were before all this leaving happened.

"I mean, it's not like I can't say that I had nothing to do with it. I mean, when Angel had that voting thing when we all voted Max out of the Flock, well, I raised my hand. And right after Max left, Fang chased after her because he loves her.

"Now I understand the whole 'let it go, and if it comes back then it's true love' or whatever, but really? Fang leaving Max is _not_ qualifiable for this."

Dylan just stood there staring at me, speechless, which I don't understand because I never am.

Then, get this, he came and sat down next to me.

On my bed.

WTF?

"I'm really sorry, Nudge. I feel kinda the same way. I don't know where to go. I'm such a burden to you guys, and look at the rift I've caused between Max and Fang. I don't mean to, but that's all I've ever known is that I'm supposed to be for Max. Now I think I realize that you can't design true love."

Now I know what it feels like to be speechless. I reached my arm across Dylan's shoulders and gave him a little squeeze.

"We'll figure this all out sooner or later. Hopefully sooner, because I really want Fang back. It just doesn't feel like the Flock without him, ya know?"

"Um…"

We each laughed, but I still felt like a traitor for voting Max out, therefore taking part in Fang's decision to leave. How could I have done that? After all that both of them have done for me and I can't accept their happiness for once?

Gazzy POV

Red to green, just like a Christmas tree.

I love messing with wires.

Now traditionally, this is how you hotwire a bulldozer, which is a ton of fun.

But right now I'm playing with Matchbox cars, a couple alarm clocks, and fireworks.

I set the alarm to thirty seconds later, attached it to a car, and tossed it into the air.

_POP!_

Tiny wheels, hoods, windshields, and doors littered the deck below. It's really the only thing to do now. Everyone is acting so awkward around each other. For one reason or another everyone is blaming themselves for having some part in making Fang leave.

I lit a couple homemade fireworks and sent them into the air just for the heck of it.

These were the models I used to make the birthday fireworks.

Nothing is the same right now. How is Max supposed to save the world without Fang? They always have each other's backs in battle. How is Max going to do this without him?

Now, I normally don't get into mushy-gushy lovey-dovey stuff, but personally witnessing those two, always together, even only being nine I know that this isn't going to end well.

I attached another Matchbox car and tossed it, this one having a bigger explosion than the last.

Angel POV

I walked across my room and picked up Celeste off of my desk. Smoothing out her little dress, I went back over to my bed and sat down with her.

My shoulders began to quiver and I let out another sob, jumping slightly at the sound of one of Gazzy's other explosions.

What was I thinking? I'm only seven, I mean, I have a lot more power over people than Max and Fang put together, but I'm not the magnitude of a leader that Max is. I won't be for quite some time. I just wish I would've realized this sooner.

But it's too late now because Fang is gone.

Over the past few days I've picked-up trains of thought that seem to belong to Fang, but I am either quickly shut-out or the thoughts disappear. I've actually sat by my window at night and tried with all my might to find some residence of Fang.

So far nothing has came up.

This is all my fault. Not partially, not kinda, not just a little, _all of it._

I should never have voted out Max and tried to be a leader. Fang would still be here and we'd all be flying right now, or having a picnic, or playing a game.

We would be _together_.

But now all we are is separated. Max never leaves her room, Iggy is moody, Nudge spends waaay too much time on the computer, and Gazzy worries about Max all the time.

Will we ever be the same?

Max POV

The morning sun warmed my feathers as I entered the middle of Nevada, about halfway to Lake Mead by now.

How many times am I going to fly this very path?

Am I just wasting my time?

The only thing that's going to be at Lake Mead when I get there are a bunch of hawks and a lake.

I guess I could stop by my mom's house while I'm in Arizona…

But I'm going to Lake Mead first.

**A/N: Now we kinda see how the rest of the Flock feels about Fang's leaving, the results of Lake Mead will be coming soon! Stay tuned! Take care, keep reading.**

**~hawkstar2~**


	4. Red Fury

**A/N: Woah, talk about sick. Jeez, I missed my first whole day of school this week, then had to go back and make-up an AP History test and a Chemistry test. Moral of the story, sorry I couldn't update last week. Anyways, here's Chapter Four! Enjoy! =)**

**Disclaimer: I'm not James Patterson!**

Chapter Four: Red Fury

Fang POV

I woke up right at sunrise, around 6:30 am, and walked out onto the "balcony". The hawks were swooping back and forth through the sky, turning and maneuvering their feathers the same way they did about a year ago when we learned to fly from them.

…

…

I really need to stop these nightly visits, or I'm never going to make it anywhere. I need to somehow get productive and…

And what?

I don't even know what I'm doing right now. It seemed like such a great idea to leave, because, well, it is.

_It has to be._

Because if it's not, then I know I've made the biggest mistake of my life.

I've left Max behind, and of all people to leave her with I left her with that scum-bag _Dylan_.

A part of me just wants to strangle that kid.

Okay, maybe more than a _part_…you get the point. But even just _thinking_ about him touching her in _ANY_ way makes my skin crawl.

We had it all together. We had everything we had ever wanted. We were _Us_. We had a house that was secure (or at least we thought it was). The Flock was all together, no one was missing, or abducted, or thinking about cutting off their wings.

Then they came.

They came and ruined it, everything. What we have been working so hard to establish and build for so long.

Why can't we just be classified as missing or escapees and just drop off of the damn grid?

It was barely 7 in the morning and I was already on the verge of a panic attack.

I was known as the calm one, the collected one, the quiet but deadly one. Max's right-hand man.

But at this moment, there was a rage building itself up inside of me like I have never felt before. My heart rate soared and I could feel the blood speed through my veins at a rate I didn't know was even possible. If I wasn't used to an already rapid heartbeat I would've thought I was going into cardiac arrest.

Red fury stained my vision and I couldn't see straight. My veins were pulsating vigorously under my skin, popping-up as if I'd just been in a battle.

I hate this. I hate it all.

Without warning, I ran to the edge of the cliff, balled up my fists, and let loose a rage that had been building inside me for years. I screamed until my voice broke and I assumed I'd split my vocal cords in half.

Why does this hurt so bad?! I'm filled with so much rage and confusion at the same time. This is a million times worse than when we split before. I can't imagine how Max reacted when she read that note. At least before we had confronted each other to our faces. This was a hit below the belt. More like a pummel, a jab, a straight kick to the gut.

I reached up and pushed my bangs out of my eyes as a hot silver tear made its way out my eyes.

"DAMMIT!!! I LOVE YOU, MAX!!!"

I fell down onto my knees and pressed my palms to my forehead in agony. The frustration has all but over-powered me.

I sat down and in the process decided to heave a rock into the lake below with a mediocre splash for the size of the stone.

I averted my gaze to the horizon of the lake, a couple hawks still swooped and circled an area of the trees.

Oh, my God.

Coming towards me at an unbelievable speed was a dark figure.

I couldn't tell how far it was, but I also couldn't tell what it was.

_Max?_

No, it couldn't be.

But it's better to be safe than sorry.

I snapped out my wings and jumped into the air, headed straight west to California.

~15 Mins. Later~

I ascended into the sky a little higher and reached down to tuck-in my necklace from Angel so that the snake jaw wouldn't…

Where's my upper jaw?

Panicking for a moment I swung the necklace around to see if it had slid around to the back.

It wasn't there.

Great, it must've fallen off at Lake Mead.

This is just what I need.

~2 ½ Hours Later~

I landed behind an internet café with available computers and after tying my windbreaker over my shoulders, I walked into the café and sat down at a computer in the very far back corner, away from the rest of the known public.

I opened Internet Explorer and logged-into the Blog.

2,543 Unread Messages.

Has it really been that long since I updated this thing?

Mentally I cursed myself for not bringing along my laptop.

I reached-up and swung the remaining pendants of my necklace around. Mentally I prayed that Max wouldn't find that snake jaw on the cliff. It would do nothing but give her false hope and that was the last thing that she needed.

I clicked on "UPDATE" and began to type:

Yo-

We need to work harder than ever now to destroy the evil scientist's plot to do away with half the planet. Things are getting more and more cracked-up and it's not looking good for us kids. Genetic engineering has gone far enough and we need to do something about it. KIDS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Stay tuned for more info.

~Fang Somewhere in the USA~

P.S. Max, if you are reading this, don't try to find me.

**A/N: Yeah, this is really short…sorry. Chapter Five will be up within the next day or two I swear! Keep reading!  
~hawkstar2~**


	5. I15

**A/N: WOW! I got a bunch more hits than I was expecting! Thank you all so much! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

_***Important Side Note: I made a geographical error in Chapter 3 when Max said she was in the middle of Nevada, halfway to Lake Mead…she was really in Utah. I just caught on to that. Sorry for the confusion! =P***_

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.P.**

Chapter Five: I-15

Max POV

It was about 10 in the morning, and I had been flying since last night. I was still in Utah I assumed, and was currently soaring over Interstate 15.

That is, until I blacked-out and nearly fell out of the sky.

I don't know what hit me, maybe a cold, wet, random cloud, a stray paintball (ha, right), or I could've even hit another bird, but something snapped me back into consciousness enough that I realized that I needed to land, and pronto.

So, less gracefully than what I usually am, I descended behind a small diner and ruled out that my stomach was attempting, and nearly succeeding, in devouring and digesting itself.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking, "But Max, you've gone day's just eating garbage! Why is it just hitting you?"

Well, let me explain this all to you: I need 3,000 calories a day. Which, up until recently, recently being the last week of my life, I've been getting that or more. Then I quit eating all together because I honestly just couldn't keep it all down. I know it sounds gross, but whatever. So then my body goes into survival mode again, only to be disturbed by eating about a gallon and a half of macaroni. Only to go out and burn all those calories just taken in by flying at abnormal speeds and not having quite enough go-juice.

In other words: I was working without any fuel.

Which doesn't end well, especially when you're a bird-kid.

Which in turn leads us back to the present problem: me finding food and keeping it down.

Oh, joy.

I tied my windbreaker around my shoulders after a couple seconds of allowing my wings to cool and headed around the front of this little-bitty truck-stop-like diner that I had just landed behind.

I pushed-open the dingy glass door and walked in. An old bell rang as I entered and all the heads in the restaurant, all five of them, turned to see who was entering.

It was one of those really old-fashioned diner-restaurant things like you see in old films like _The Twilight Zone_, or something to that nature. There were four booths, two double-seater tables, and a bar wrap-around with the classic red and white striped stools. A TV that looked like it was straight out of the 80's was barely mounted on the ceiling at one end of the bar.

I nearly leapt out of my skin when a short old woman walked up and tapped me on the shoulder.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Honey, but would you like a seat?"

"Oh, uh, yes, thank you."

She smiled and looked like one of those nice old grannies you see in a Better Housekeeping magazine that always have cookies ready for their grandkids.

I was lead over to a booth in the corner and given a menu.

"Just give me a holler when you're ready." She said.

I nodded and opened up the menu. I really hadn't planned on stopping to eat anywhere, but I was liable to fall out of the sky and become a genuine Max-pancake if I didn't get something into me soon.

All of the meals were very reasonably priced, so I would probably be getting more than one combo.

I folded my menu and the old lady smiled and made her way over to me.

"Good morning, Miss, what can I get you today?"

"Uh, I'll have the all-you-can-eat pancakes, milk, and four eggs please."

"And how many pancakes would you like to start off with sweetie?"

"Uhm, five to start please."

She smiled kindly and nodded, "Okay, we'll have it all out for you in a jiffy."

What was a jiffy? Like, is it really in the dictionary?

I leaned back against the booth and checked all my surroundings again. No one morphing into Erasers, in fact, three of the five original people in the diner had left and it was just me and an old couple sitting in the very far other side of the restaurant. I leaned my head against the old wood frame of the bench and closed my eyes. When was the last time I had a proper nights' sleep? I couldn't close my eyes anymore without seeing everything I didn't want to at this very moment of my life.

I saw the beach, when I made fun of Fang for his scratches that Ari had given him. I told him he looked like a kitty-cat and he gave me a death glare. I told him to just live, just live and be okay. I kissed him that night.

He kissed me in a cave, trying to help me change my mind. The fire was dancing in front of us and his hands were on me. He was touching me so gently, but I could feel every callus, every scrape, everything.

We kissed each other in the desert in Mexico the night we flew away from the safe-house for a while.

He held my hand on the airplane when everything seemed to be catapulting way out of control.

He held me when I tried to saw the chip out of my arm.

He caught me in midair the day my head first felt like it'd explode when the Voice first came.

He gave me his shoulder to cry on the day of my brother's funeral.

He made me feel like more than a tool for saving the world, he treated me like I was actually human.

Ha, that's an oxymoron.

We knew each other better than we knew our own selves sometimes. Most times…

I drew in a staggered breath and opened my eyes. My hands were folded in front of me on the table and my ring was glittering in the sunlight. Its silver caught little rays of light ever so often and threw little reflections onto the ceiling. The jewel in the center practically glowed with the bright light.

"That's a very pretty ring. You don't seem like quite the jewelry type, it must be special, hm?"

I looked up and the waitress was setting a plate stacked with pancakes and a plate of eggs on my table. She left the pitcher of milk next to a glass. Then she pulled a fast one on me and sat across from me at the table.

"Now, I don't mean to pry or anything, but my nieces sent me pictures from Mexico of an air show, and you look an awful lot like that girl."

"Well, I am Maximum Ride." I said with a smile.

"Well, I'll be. A famous child sittin' in my diner. I couldn't be more honored. I'll let you finish your breakfast, if you need any more please don't hesitate to ask." She patted my hand and stood-up and started to walk away.

Now, I'm not normally a talkative person when it comes to emotions, but a lot was changing recently.

"This ring is really special."

"Hm? Were you talking to me, Maximum?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, you can call me Max. And yes, this ring is very sentimental to me."

"I see. Was it an heirloom?"

I laughed. "Not exactly, more like a…gift."

"I see. It's a gorgeous piece of jewelry. Whoever gave it to you had great taste. That's this month's birthstone, isn't it?"

"I think so. I'm not too good with that kind of stuff."

"Who was it from?" she asked almost hesitantly.

I sat there and thought for a moment, trying to figure out how I would introduce him.

"An old friend. He's missing right now, and that's what I'm doing here."

Recognition clouded her eyes like she knew exactly what I was going through and she nodded.

"I see." She shifted the tray into her other hand and held up her tanned right hand, reveling a large turquoise ring with coral and tiger's eye stone surrounding it. The ring itself made her hand look tinier than it was.

"It's beautiful." I remarked.

"It's from a lost friend as well. He moved away when we were both 16, I haven't seen him since, but a part of me is always hopeful that somehow, someday he will show-up here. But that dreams been unchanged for near 55 years. I just hope he's living a good life."

"I hope it doesn't take that long to find him…" I pondered aloud, mostly to myself.

The old lady, her nametag I just caught a glimpse of read MAGGIE, seemed lost in thought for a minute until she looked back to me and patted my shoulder, "Best start eatin' before it gets too cold."

I smiled and began to eat my first good, complete meal in about a week.

-_-_-_-

I finished off about ten pancakes, four glasses of milk, and four eggs in all by the end of breakfast. About now it was 11 o'clock AM.

I thanked Maggie as I left the diner and I also left her a tip, a rare occurrence for me.

Rounding the back of the restaurant, I snapped out my wings and took off into the air, looking down just in time to see Maggie shading her eyes to look up at me through the back window of her diner. I smiled inside and once I was at a fair altitude I burst into hyperdrive and was at Lake Mead and the cave in seconds.

I landed evenly, but staggered a bit to catch my footing. I inhaled deeply and almost felt the memories flood back to me. A hawk screeched over my head and I let my wings back out so it could remember my scent.

After exploring the little cave, I went to sit on the edge of the cliff and leaned back, having my hands and arms support my body weight.

I closed my eyes and attempted to relax for a minute.

Until I shifted my hands and got stabbed by something.

I jerked sideways to turn and see what had lodged itself into my finger, and began to panic for a moment when I realized that it was a fang on a snake jaw.

"AIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

I shook my hand and the jaw fell to the dust. I jammed my finger in my mouth and tried to make the bleeding stop when it hit me:

That was the _top_ part of a snake jaw.

I pulled my necklace out of my shirt where I'd tucked it in for safe keeping during the flight, bent down to pick up the top, and pieced them together.

They fit to a T.

Which could only mean one thing:  
This was Fang's snake jaw.

Whaaaaat?

I dropped to my knees and started to cry as I remembered the birthday party we all pitched-in on and the matched necklaces Angel had made Fang and I. the bottom part of the jaw was mine, the top part his.

I clutched the jaw gently in my hands as I began to ball even more until it really hit me:

Fang has been _here_ in the past _week_. Which meant he was still within flying distance.

Which meant that if he logged onto the Blog, even the slightest hint could tell us where he was.

With a sudden burst of energy I didn't know I was capable of having anymore I jumped to my feet and secured the jaw into my zipper-pocket and took-off towards home.

Now I had a new plan.

**A/N: Wow, this was almost 2,000 words… Thanks for reading! Reviews motivate me and get you more chapters!!! Thank you again, take care. Keep reading!**

**~hawkstar2~**


	6. Shopping?

**A/N: Sorry for the wait…here's Chapter 6! Has anyone heard of the new book **_**Going Bovine**_**? I'm almost done with it and it's really good! I recommend it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not James Patterson.**

Chapter Six: Shopping?

Fang POV

After a couple hours of searching random things on Google, updating a few entries on the Blog, and drinking a couple grande coffees, I left the internet café and went to check-in to a dinky little motel like the ones you see that get invaded by SWAT because there's an axe murderer inside it.

I thank the less-than-thrilled-looking old woman at the front desk after handing over my money and receiving my room key. I rented the room as a running payment, meaning that I didn't know how long I'd be here so I was paying by the day but still got a deal.

It was just past twilight and the sky was still somewhat pink. I felt my stomach growl and figured that this place didn't have a complementary restaurant, so I left the room and headed to a McDonald's with a hooker out front and bullet holes in the front glass. I roll my shoulders back and prepare myself in case I happen to get jumped or something.

A tanned kid that couldn't be any more than 17 but still had tattoos covering his neck and a giant serpent wrapping itself around his bald head was standing at the register.

"Welcome to McDonald's, can I take your order?"

I'm not sure if he sounds high, or if he really just doesn't want to be here.

I order three Big Macs, a large coke, and two large fries. The kid looks at me for a second after he takes my money and calls back the order, then props himself up against the counter and tries to make small-talk.

I hate small-talk.

"So, 'ya got the munchies or somethin'?"

Great. He thinks I'm a druggie.

"Uh, no, just hungry."

He laughs, at which point I am sure that he is indeed high because guys of his size don't sound like a hyper Nudge laughing.

"Aw, that's rich man!"

"Seth! Order up!" a burly man hollers from the grill.

"Ah-rite, ah-rite." He mumbles, walking off to get my food.

I stand, not entirely sure of how to look or act, and finally receive my food. I nod to Seth and take my tray to the furthest corner of the restaurant and make a mental note to order take-out next time.

I nearly inhale my food, choking a few times, and am finished within seconds. I refill my soda and haul ass out of there.

Even though the motel is only a couple blocks away, I launch myself into the air, the only really safe place, flap a few times, and land silently behind my room window, sliding it open to crawl through and drop onto the floor.

After changing into a pair of shorts and a cleaner black shirt, I flop onto the crappy bed and swear a spring stabs me in my back. "Wi-Fi Available!" is on one of those little ad cards sitting on the nightstand. I contemplate going out and buying myself a new laptop, but it wouldn't be near as nice as the one we lifted before.

It doesn't matter though, it's not like I can go back and get my other one anyways.

I roll over onto my stomach and pick-up the remote control, flicking it on to an old football game. The cameraman continues to focus on the cheerleaders whose shorts are so short I'm surprised they can even be classified as clothing.

I soon recollect the time we went to our first football game back in Texas. Max was so much against it I was surprised I even got her into the stadium.

_Fang, would you quit looking at them like they're pieces of meat!?_ Angel's voice still echoes in my head.

I hammer the power key and chuck the remote across the room, where it hits the wall with a thunk and immediately dismantles.

"I need to come up with a freaking plan, sitting around waiting for a random sign just isn't working out."

Max POV

I warp into hyperdrive and make it back to the house in less than 10 minutes. It was only barely past noon when I catapulted through the front doorway and into the foyer. Tears streak down my face from being in hyperdrive and air searing into my eye sockets, my hair is in the worst tangle I've ever seen, I may even have to cut the rats out of it.

But that is the least of my thoughts right now.

I reached into my pocket and fingered the jaw. It was still there!

I run through the foyer into the living room and spot Nudge.

Just the girl I wanted to see.

"Nudge!!" I exclaim.

And evidently she was really zoned into her iPod because when I said her name she jumped so high into the air I could've sworn she was prepping for take-off.

"What!? Oh, hi Max…MAX!!! Omigosh!! You're back and you're okay and you're safe and you're all in one piece and you don't look like you've been run-over by a truck or free-falled off of a giant cliff with your wings tied behind your back or anything!!! Although your hair has _definitely_ seen better days" she ran over and engulfed me with a hug, "I'm so glad you're back safe!!"

"Me too, sweetie; Nudge, I have a really, really big favor to ask of you."

"Anything, Max! Just name it!"

I unzipped my pocket and pulled out the snake jaw.

"Eeeee!!!! Gross, gross, gross…hey wait a minute…MAX! NO WAY!!"

"I am 99.9% positive that it is Fang's. I found it at Lake Mead."

"So, what do you want me to do?" she asks, he nose still slightly curled at the sight of the snake jaw in my hand.

I took a deep breath and gathered all my thoughts to make sure they were the right ones.

"I want you to use Fang's laptop to hack into his Blog to try and track where he updated it last if he has updated recently." My voice was shaky by the end of it because her mouth had formed an alarmed 'O'.

"You want me, to hack into my brother, your _boyfriend's_, laptop so that we can track him down after he left us in the first place and then told us not to come looking for him?"

Great. "Yeah, pretty much."

"No."

"But, Nudge! We don't even know if he's updated yet! I'm just saying when he _does_."

"He did."

"Excuse me?"

"Opps."

"What do you mean 'opps'? Have you been tracking his Blog!?"

"I was only doing it for you, Max, I swear! He updated it not too long ago today, depending on what time zone he is in!"

Oh. My. Gosh.

I think this may be suicide…

"I'll take you shopping." I mumble.

"Whaaat?"

I raise my voice to about whisper level, "If you do this for me I'll personally take you shopping."

"AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEE!!! REALLY!?!"

"Yes, now keep it down!"

"I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!!!"

"Okay, okay, now come on, let's get this show on the road."

Nudge was practically vibrating with excitement as we walked to my room, though no doubt everyone in the house now knew I was home.

**A/N: I love typing for Nudge, 'cuz you can basically just let loose and type a bunch of stuff and it totally makes sense for her still! =] Thanks for reading! Reviews are much loved! Take care, keep reading!**

** ~hawkstar2~ **


	7. Fang's Stuff

**A/N: Okay, if I get any reviews whatsoever for this chapter I will be more than pleased. I can't believe I went this long without uploading. Good news though is that I ended-up passing the dreaded English class, took the SAT, and managed to maintain a GPA that is eligible for Academic Excellence. Plus I passed Japanese 1 with an A+! Yay!**

**Disclaimer: I'm Not James Patterson.**

Chapter Seven: Well, Coulda Saw THAT Coming…

Max POV

I waited anxiously as Nudge made a show of cracking her knuckles and settling down at the laptop in my bedroom and logging onto the internet. She zoomed to the top of the page and clicked on the bookmarked "Fang's Blog", then following a series of buttons she was somehow able to get to webmaster settings and onto a password sensitive blockade that needed about six different codes.

"Okay, so we got this far, now what? I mean, can we track him to find out where the last upload was made?" I asked.

Nudge gave me a look like I was totally oblivious. "I can make the computer do anything I want it to, Max. If I wanted it to wake me up with a personal greeting and read me my e-mail every morning then I could. Just relax and leave the rest of this to me." She finished her speech quicker than the usual Nudge drawl, but as long as what she was saying was true, then she could just take her time.

"And I hope you still remember _my_ part of this bargain?" she added sweetly.

I rolled my eyes. How could I forget?

"Of course, Nudge. We'll go wherever you want…I promise."

"Aiee!" she squealed.

"Just get a move-on before we're bombarded with the rest of the Flock hanging over our shoulders!" I hissed.

"Okay, okay, okay. Shmeesh."

I backed up to sit on my bed while Nudge propped the laptop on her knees at the end of the bed. Her lips tightened into a snarl as she furiously punched the keys and number pad, her fingers seemingly not even connecting with the keys they moved so fast.

"Crap."

It had been about a minute, which was somewhat lengthy considering how great she had became at hacking.

"Something wrong?"

"He changed the final password from a different location, so I'm going to have to try harder to get into the last blockade. I've got past the first five, but I think he was prepared for me to do this, so he's swapped codes…"

Her brow was crunched in frustration.

"Knowing Fang it'll be something totally random that has nothing to do with anything." I say.

"He still has files on here?"

"What're you doing snooping around my computer!"

"Technically it's Fang's and you're the one telling me to hack into the website, so I'd say you're doing a fair amount of snooping yourself, Max."

"Don't get snippy little Miss."

"DDFFMMU."

"What?"

"Damn."

"What're you doing?"

"Alphabetizing his last documents on the computer to see if that is the code…maybe if I remove CAPS… Bingo."

"You're in?"

"Of course, why else would I say 'Bingo'? I mean unless I was at a retirement home and I won Bingo which would be so cool except for the fact that the only thing they can win are like, prunes and things."

"Okay, when or where did he last update?"

"Oh yeah, um…let's see…tracking…check...aha, California."

"Psh, figures. Hot babes on a beach."

"It was from an internet café around San Diego, a little on the outskirts, but same difference."

I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and began to pull on my combat boots.

"Max, what are you doing?"  
I looked up to see Angel standing in the doorway.

"Uh, going for a spin." If he's that close I'll be able to fly there, find his sorry ass, and drag him back home before nightfall.

"He said not to follow or try to find him though, Max."

"When?"

"In his blog."

"Have ALL of you been reading this!"

"Pretty much, I read it to Ig, but other than that…"

"Oh, jeezum."

"You can't go, Max. If you don't do what he says he may never come back."

"If he doesn't just because—shocker!—Maximum Ride didn't follow orders, then he's done gone and knocked his head!"

Angel shrugged and walked away as Nudge hesitantly set the laptop down on the bed again.

"Will we still go shopping?"

"Yeah, soon, I promise."

"Oka-ay."

I pulled my hair into a tight ponytail and shook-out my wings, climbed onto the window ledge, and leaped out into the afternoon air.

Fang POV

I returned from the grocery store and internet café around 2 in the afternoon and put all my food in the mini fridge, then flopped onto the bed and turned on the television.

_"Three more children have gone missing without a trace, police and families in the area are stunned that someone would take their children."_

"Wonderful, more test subjects."

I turned off the news, it was never anything but bad news anyways.

Well, it's official. I am bored out of my mind and it's still the middle of the day. This can't be a good sign.

I left my room through the door and slipped my key into my pocket, walking off to somewhere I still hadn't decided where.

I'd already hit the internet and quite frankly was done with listening to fanmail and staring at a small, janky screen for hours on end.

I reached up and twisted the empty end of my necklace. I'd never owned a piece of jewelry in my life, and the one time I do, it connects me to Max. It's not as though I can just go off and replace the jaw, it just wouldn't be the same.

I shouldn't have told her twenty _years_. Maybe weeks, or months….but why did I have to write _years_?

My feet led me to the small local park, where I decided to sit and at least enjoy being outside than trapped in that hotel room.

I just wish she was here.

**A/N: End Chapter Seven.**

**Thanks for reading, take care and stay tuned!**

**~hawkstar2**


	8. Surprise!

**A/N: Oh wow, I have no idea where to begin except for the fact that I dropped by my e-mail the other day and I had an amazing reader comment on here that they were patiently waiting for me to continue. Senior year stinks….just so all of you underclassmen have a fair warning and all you graduates can relate with me on something haha. A'ight, without much further ado than what I've already put you all through and I apologize from the depths of my heart:**

**Disclaimer: I'm NOT J.P. …if I was **_**Angel**_** wouldn't have sucked like it did. TFW was almost better…at least we had some Fax to work off of. Sorry for a maybe-interpreted-like-ish-spoiler.**

Chapter Eight: Surprise!

Fang POV

Sitting on a park bench by yourself is actually quite a soothing method for relieving stress…

Then again, so was beating the wires out of evil robots, but seeing as how I haven't seen any upon arriving in San Diego I was stuck acting all Zen and crap.

I sighed and crunched my can of coke in my hand and stared up at the clouds, remembering when I was young and Max and I spent so much time watching clouds morph and the sound of her giggling when I played along.

Oh my God I have got to stop this.

Am I really this weak?

Good grief.

If I could just see her one more time.

Just see her chocolate eyes.

Just see her tangled, beautiful mess of hair.

Just one more kiss…

It's best that I skimped out on the Flock without direct confrontation, if I had seen Max's face when she read that note that I left her I probably would've died. One of the few times in my life that I didn't want to be a fly on the wall in Max's life; who would've thought it would've been our break-up?

Dylan POV

I don't understand a lot in this life, especially seeing as how I'm kind of new to the whole wings, mutants, experiments, Max thing.

I can't keep my mind off of her. Every little thing about her makes my heart jolt, only thing is that I can't explain any of it! I was programmed to fall in love with her and be with her forever…but in the few months that I actually have been around Max I never seen her this…gone.

"Uh, going for a spin." I heard Max reasoning with Angel and Nudge in the other room. She would be leaving soon, I could see it. The more time that passed the closer she would get to him. the one who hurt her like no other has in her entire life.

I couldn't let her make a mistake like this…not if I had anything to say about it.

Max POV

Okay, internet café in San Diego…shouldn't be that hard, right?

Wrong. Way, waaaay wrong. San Diego is like the internet café capital of the world.

But I have it now narrowed down to one city out of millions, I'm not going to give up even if I have to go into every single one of these thousand internet cafés and show them pictures of Fang from the newspaper until I got an answer.

This is like trying to find a needle in a frigging haystack. It's ridiculous. It's tiring. It's everything that Fang wanted when he left. He didn't want me finding him and that was the only thing that I was succeeding at in this current time.

After meandering up each and every café for the past twenty blocks, I veered into a small wooded plaza that made Central Park in New York seem like the size of Asia compared to Italy: huge.

Scuffing my boots along the pea-gravel I was seconds from breaking down and bawling my eyeballs out. It was almost to the point for me that I just ultimately didn't care anymore.

I sat gingerly on a bench and pressed the rough palms of my hands into my eye sockets in a desperate attempt to halt any looming tears that may try to stray down the side of my cheek.

Fang POV

After a couple hours of just sitting there doing nothing I had accomplished just that:

Nothing.

I got off the path and began treading through the somewhat overgrown grass, picking bark off of a stick as I went.

Staggered breathing caught my attention and I looked around, expecting a lost child or a worn-out cyclist.

No.

You've got to be kidding me.

"Fang."

"Dylan."

"Don't you touch her. You have no idea how badly you broke Max. I'm taking care of her now, you've lost your chances."

Excuse me? WTH!

"Okay, tough guy, who told you where I was?"

"That doesn't matter, what does matter is that Max is in San Diego right now looking for your sorry ass because that poor girl actually believes still that you hold a shred of dignity and love for her."

Okay, that's how you want to play?

Something inside of me snapped right then. And the recoil from that snapping nerve sent me flying at Dylan's throat like a madman.

I caught the scumbag off guard and continued nailing him in the face, right hook, left hook, repeat.

Unfortunately though, he'd been taught to fight by watching Max.

That alone was bad news.

After a couple blows he'd caught on that you _duck_ when a fist is coming towards you, and used this newfound knowledge to his advantage. At one point he was able to shoot behind me and grab me by my neck, right on the pressure points.

Thankfully for me though, I'd learned to focus less on the pressure points being triggered and more on what I was still capable of doing and I drug my heavy right boot up and back swiftly into his gut.

Ah, now that's what I call pure satisfaction.

Only problem now was that I didn't know what to do with him. I'd left him bloodied, battered, and bruised on the ground. All of which he truly and honestly deserved…but I still didn't quite know what to do with the piece o' crap.

I could tie him up and throw him over the gates to the School…

Tempting.

Max POV

Chipmunks are very obnoxious creatures. They fight, they chirp while they're fighting, and they make a heck of a lot of noise with the natural land around them when they are fighting.

I've decided I hate chipmunks.

So much for gathering my thoughts.

I'll finish this job later, I needed to get home to the Flock. If Fang made one update from San Diego he'll be here tomorrow as well.

I flew home at hyperspeed and slid open the back screen door nearest to the kitchen/dining room area and nearly leapt out of my skin when I saw what was waiting for me in the kitchen.

"Whaaat?"

**A/N: End of Chapter Eight! Thanks for tuning in after so much time of me being away! Sorry for the cliffy, but I really have to go to bed XD Stay tuned, keep reading!**

**~hawkstar2~**


	9. Mirrors

**A/N: Woah! So many hits so soon! I almost cried! Thank you all so much!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not James Patterson**

Chapter Nine: Mirrors

Fang POV

I shuffled from foot to foot with my hands in my pockets in the kitchen, my left fist slightly more swollen than the right.

Beside me on the floor, still in bruised, bloody, and beaten state, was the pentacle of my discomfort and hatred:

Dylan.

And, standing not seven feet away from me was the love of my life, the most amazing girl I've ever known in my entire life…and she looked pissed.

"What. Fang? Dylan? What are you doing here? Are you okay? FORGET IT WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING LEAVING ME!"

I felt like she slapped me. Hard.

"Listen Max, I just needed to return your…mutant. I'd feel bad if I left him like this in a San Diego park."

"Oh, wow, compassion, haven't seen that for a while."

My cheeks flushed with frustration and embarrassment at the same time.

I stretched out my wings, "Well, I guess I'll see you later then."

"Fang!" Angel's small voice rang out through the halls. Crap.

Her ocean-blue eyes, that we all know are nowhere near as innocent as they look, peered up at me with pain and utter anger boiling deep within them.

_ "Where are you going? You can't leave now, not after she's saw you again, this close to her…"_

I was startled for a second at first at having Angel's voice in my head after not having it for so long.

"Angel stay out of his head." Max's voice was cold and hard.

"Sorry, Max." she replied timidly, tip-toeing to the corner of the room in the process.

Max then averted her gaze to meet mine, "Well, are you staying or not?"

"Let's talk outside."

Max POV

Ohmygah, ohmygah, ohmygah, ohmygah…he's here! HE'S _HERE_!

Okay, Max, deep breaths, composure, don't let yourself look weak.

"Well, are you staying or not?" phew, it was level.

Fang looked up at me with his coal black eyes, the same I had been walking and flying all over San Diego to see again, now coming closer and closer to me.

"Nudge will you haul Dylan into the living room and get some peroxide on his…everywhere?"

"Sure Max." Nudge, Gazzy, and Iggy each took legs, torso, and shoulders of a very mangled Dylan and carefully lugged him into the living room as instructed.

Fang jerked his chin up in indication that he was ready to go outside. I slid open the glass door and threw myself into the air, making sure it was the most beautiful, elegant, and powerful take-off I'd ever accomplished; just to make him think twice about leaving again.

I glanced down to see a small smirk on the corner of Fang's mouth, slightly shaking his head.

Good, that means I'd gotten to him.

We flew for a few miles until we landed on top of an abandoned motel in the middle of nowhere and sat there in awkward silence for a couple minutes.

Until of course I opened my great giant gab.

"So what's going to be the deal, Fang?" Don't let him know you've been depressed beyond your wildest dreams and spent an entire day walking around internet cafés in San Diego looking for his sorry butt.

Fang drew in a deep breath and exhaled in a hiss. A small puff of breath reminded me of how drastically cold it was in the middle of the desert at night. On top of an old motel. With nothing on but a t-shirt and a three-quarter length, light windbreaker.

I wrapped my arms around my torso and allowed a cold chill to rattle through my bones.

At which point my senses went on high alert when I felt Fang's presence edging closer…not long after the weight of his leather jacket, with all its Fang-filled smell, was draped across my shoulders.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

"I never expected you to find me this soon. I also never expected to have this whole ordeal hit you this hard. Your hair is limp, meaning you aren't brushing it although you have all the resources you would ever need at the house. You punched three more holes in your belt, indicating obvious weight loss, which is further explainable by the hollowness of you collarbones and the edginess of your cheekbones. You have dark bags under your eyes because you haven't been sleeping properly. Your wings are uncared for, with feathers sticking out at various, unnatural angles, showing that you've been flying around too much, aka avoiding the rest of the world…Max, what have you let yourself come to? This is so uncharacteristic of you, I don't know whether I should stay here and pacify all that you've done to yourself…or if I should leave again because I know it's the right thing to do for everyone else."

Whoa, talk about monologue. There'd only been a handful of times in my life that I'd heard Fang talk that much, that deeply, and, unfortunately, that accurately. My heart was pounding. It was like I stood in front of a mirror and critiqued myself it was so insanely accurate.

I had no idea he'd paid that much attention before.

"I didn't think you would notice anything…especially not at night."

I was sitting with my legs curled up to my chest, looking straight ahead into the infinite blackness that was the desert at night.

Fang leaned ever closer to me, sitting so close it was almost overwhelming to my senses.

He used his forefinger to trace along my forehead, down the side of my cheek, to the base of my jaw, angling my face toward his at this point.

"How could I not have, Max? I'm pretty sure I notice things more readily on you than I do on myself half of the time."

My turn: "Yeah, like how you haven't shaved for a few days, pending laziness. You're using a different hole on your belt, proving that all you're doing is watching peppy cheerleaders on ESPN and eating Cheetos. Your eyes are distant, more so than usual, meaning you are thinking too hard on something, also evident by the crease line on your forehead from thinking too much. I'm not the only one that's a mess right now, Fang."

The corner of Fang's mouth turned up ever so slightly, I'd gotten him again.

"So what do we do from here then?" he asked, all seriousness in his tone of voice.

I tugged his jacket around my shoulders and shrugged. "That's all up to you, you already know what I want out of this."

The next thing I knew Fang's calloused hands angled my view toward his face, his eyes intense, his jaw set; "I never meant to hurt you, Max. I never meant for any of this to happen, not this far. The last thing I would want for you is to be this self-destructing, I never expected you to, not move on. That's just not ever like you to fully give up, on anything. Let alone yourself and the Flock."

Tears stung the edges of my eyes, brimming around the corners and racing down my cheeks. "Will you please come back Fang? I've never felt like this in my life, I feel like I am totally lost and every day feels like a year. I don't know what is best for the world, and I honestly don't believe you being gone and Dylan being here will fix anything with the Flock." I threw my fists up in a fit of rage, "I mean _really_! You have the decency to bring back a totally mangled Dylan but you just don't know if you could stay here with me? Do you know how many times I've slept in your room, just to feel like I'm kind of close to you? How many days I spent lying in bed, unmoving, undetermined, and unsure of anything else!"

"I'm sorry." Fang cut me off by grabbing my shoulders and thrusting my body to face his entirely. He pulled me into himself and buried his face into my neck. "I'm so sorry, Max."

Then, he looked up and leaned in, his lips landing eagerly on mine, something that felt so natural, so right that I melted. I thrust my arms around him and let loose. All my emotions that I had bottled up over the past months poured out of me like a river. Fang moved his hands to angle my head just right. I reached up timidly to feel his face, his rough skin feeling like home to me, everything so natural and real.

He pulled me closer to him and I laid my arms across his broad shoulders, like we were made for each other.

He couldn't leave now.

**A/N: Ta-da! And there's Chapter Nine for ya'll! Chapter Ten will likely be up next week too. Stay tuned, take care, and keep reading!**

**~hawkstar2**


	10. In the Middle

**A/N: You all would be proud of me, I was able to type an introduction paper to my English class about me, reflected through my account. I gave them all my stats and my history with the site…but none of this would've been possible without all of you wonderful people! I am very grateful and blessed to be able to say that this site has made this much of an impact on my life…you ALL have made a huge impact on my life! Thank you all so much, I love you all!  
Just as a foot-note, I am so very sorry I haven't updated in frigging forever and I would like to give all of you awards for coming back to read and review this, my family has had multiple tragedies in the past year, not to mention me graduating, working a crap-load, and helping my boyfriend move into his own apartment. I know I said this before but I swear I will at least continue updating this story and conclude it hopefully before the last (*cries hysterically*) Maximum Ride comes out in February.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.P., although I'd love to be :)**

Chapter Ten: In the Middle

Fang POV

In the middle of the desert, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, I am in the middle of the greatest thing in my life, the one person I live for I'm holding close to the middle of my chest, our hearts beating erratically out of control to the point of no return to normalcy afterwards. Max's hair was falling out of her ponytail and encasing her lightly-colored face. She was so pale and fragile and it was all my fault I knew it was.

But this couldn't go on forever. The Flock comes first and she needed to realize this…

But I can't let go yet, she's been gone for so long from reality, now that she's back all Hell would break loose if I left her now.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do though…

Max POV

This isn't happening, it can't be, it's got to be another dream. I'm going to wake up in Fang's bed in about 20 seconds and get really mad and then cry myself back to sleep again, that's how it always is, that's how it's going to be for me for the next twenty years, I'm going to wake-up right….now.

I squinted my eyes and looked to see Fang's five o'clock shadow on his clearly defined chin and grinned to myself.

_You're made for each other. Don't let him go again, Max. But don't lose track of what's important in life right now, you need to save the world, Max. Are you listening to me?_

Clearly, not. The Voice could shut-up and leave me alone for once in my life when I actually want it to.

This is perfect. When I lay into the crook of Fang's broad shoulder I could still hear his heart ramming against the ribcage. He can't leave me now, he just can't.

Dylan POV

I'm home? How? Oh my God I feel like I've been hit by an 18 wheeler…

In an instant rage filled me through all of my bones and deep within the core of my chest.

I propped myself up onto one elbow, "Hey, Nudge?"

"Oh, Dylan! You're okay! Do you need anything? I can make some soup or a new bandage or a glass of juice or water or would you like the remote from the TV?"

She took a breath as if to say more and I knew this was my opportunity:

"No, actually I was wondering where Fang is."

She looked down and bit her lower lip, "Umm, yeah, about that…"

It was at this point that I realized that I didn't feel Max anywhere around me, she definitely wasn't in the house, I didn't know about the rest of the property but she wasn't here, that was for sure.

I leaned up and sort of felt like I was hit in the center of the forehead by a Louisville Slugger.

Oh yeah, that was Fang's fist.

"You really shouldn't try to get up, Dylan, I know you're supposed to heal uber fast or whatever but that's just not a really good idea cause you're not doing too good and I don't think you could make it very far…"

"How far do I need to go?"

Nudge didn't reply, but instead cracked open another bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

I'm going to find them. He's not going to take my Max from me, not now, not ever.

I'll get him, and he will not see it coming like I can.

**A/N: The end of Chapter Ten, wooh into the double digits now! I know it was short but if I get a bunch of hits and some encouraging reviews I will try my bestest to get another chapter up within this week. :D**

**Read-on,**

**hawkstar2**


	11. The Hunt

**A/N: College is going great guys! I'm taking an intro to libraries course right now that's a lot of fun and next semester I'm doing psychology and sociology and stuff. But what I'm really excited for is fall 2012 I'm taking a course called "Children's Literature." I'm hoping for lots of Disney-Esq. material!**

**On another note, I created a Facebook Page for hawkstar2 :) I will post updates, sneak peeks to chapters, and other news concerning writing and books that seem interesting/are interesting to me! It'd mean the world to me if you have a Facebook and liked my Page! Well, I mean, not as much as the fantabulous support and everything I get from you guys here, but you get what I mean ;)**

**Disclaimer: I'm not James Patterson. **

Chapter Eleven: The Hunt

Max POV

We must have fallen asleep or something because the next thing I knew I was opening my eyes and the crest of the sun was blooming over the horizon.

I rolled up onto my elbow and knelt down to kiss Fang's cheek, "I miss this, waking up next to you. Do you remember how many times we would be the only ones awake in the morning and could just sit there and watch the sun come up?"

Fang blinked awake; "Yeah, and the peace and quiet." He turned to look at me, both of us sitting up now.

"We should probably head back sometime soon, Max. The kids will get antsy if you're not back."

I grunted, "Really? I don't want to go back right now, that would mean confronting Dylan, whom I really do _not_ want to deal with right now."

"What's going on between you and him right now anyways?"

"Nothing. Nothing has been going on between me and anyone recently except my bed."

"Oh…he just seemed really, I don't know, territorial about you."

"That's because he thinks we are getting together sometime soon because you decided to play hide and don't seek forever." Low blow I knew it, but maybe it would tempt him to stay…

"Well, then what's going to happen if I stay with the Flock?"

"What do you mean 'if' you stay? You're here now, you have to stay Fang, I can't lose you again!" I was getting dizzy, this was way too much at too early of an hour, especially after I just woke up. I hate surprises.

"Well, I mean, I don't know how long and if I can stay here. I only came because you were on the hunt for me apparently—"

"What do you mean that's the only reason you came back! You mean the only significance behind any of this is that you were trying to pacify me? You spineless jerk!"

I leapt up and began to brush the sand off of my pants, jacket, hair, and everywhere else that was covered like chicken pox. No way was I going to fall for this again. If he doesn't want to be back to be with me and the Flock, then screw it.

"Max wait!"

I spun around, "What, Fang? Are you going to drop another bomb shell on me? Let me take a guess, you already _have_ a girlfriend and just came back to break it to me that we are officially through? Bring it, nothing can be worse than what I've already assumed."

"Well, truth is…"

Dylan POV

It took me a little while to locate Max and Fang, but I eventually found them in the desert together. Seeing Max laying on him like a freaking body pillow was enough to raise bile in my throat, but I let them sleep. I'll come back later and watch them from afar, any sudden movements by Fang and I'll slice his throat.

~4 ½ hours later~

"…We are officially through!" Max's shrill yell could be heard 100 yards away where I was crouching behind a small sand dune.

My heart skipped a beat. I had to get home now! She and the doom of gloom man were officially over and now was my chance to have Max all mine for the rest of my life!

I stood up quickly and shook out my wings to rid the sand out of my feathers when my raptor-like vision saw something that made my skin crawl.

Fang POV

This was it, it was no or never;

"Well, truth is, I need you Max. I want you to come with me, and together we can overthrow whatever evil 'mastermind' there is that plans on destroying us all. If you agree we can use the blog and gather up a group of supporters, I already have thousands ready and willing to help. I know you don't think it will work but weigh in the possibility that _NONE_ of our Flock will be harmed at all. We can leave them with your mom or even under government protection in an underground air hanger bunker thing like what they have out in Kansas or wherever that was. We can save the world together, Max, and then when it's all said and done our family will be safe and we can go on living our normal lives without worrying about scientists or experiments, or anything! We can do it _together_ Max."

My heart was racing, palms were sweating, and head was spinning from standing too fast and delivering my speech to Max. Contemplation was running through her eyes like fireworks. My entire life hung by a moment in time, whether or not she would come with me and practically abandon the Flock for their own good, or if she would stick by their side and say 'Screw you.' I could honestly picture a more realistic outcome with the later of the two, but I was pressing all of my hope for the first, for her own good, the Flock's, and mine.

Tears emerged in the corners of her eyes and her lips quivered, I'd done it, Max was mine, the Flock was safe, and Dylan was going to disappear forever.

"Fang, I don't know what to say…we of course have to talk to everyone about it and you know as well as I do that none of them will go for it, but all I want is to be with you again."

I reached out to take both of her hands in mine, I squeezed her palms and began to draw her into me when all of a sudden I felt a searing sensation in my bicep, then another second later I felt the same sensation blow through my shoulder at an awkward angle and bury itself deep into me, near my back wing area.

Blood poured out of my right side like a river of blackness as I slowly processed what had just happened. Generally when I get shot it doesn't hurt me as much as it pisses me off, but there was something different about this time…

"Fang? FANG! OH MY GOD NO! NO! WHAT IS THIS! WHO'S THERE! SHOW YOURSELF YOU COWARD!" Max's penetrating shrieks were deafening as she lunged forward to grab my body before I hit the earth.

"Hey guys, guess the party's over, huh?" my blurred vision and selective hearing were strong enough yet to register my attacker as he began to close in on the two of us.

"I always knew there was another reason I hated you." I spat out my words to Dylan and then lost all connections to this world.

_**A/N: Check out my Facebook page (link's on my profile or here: **_.com/pages/Hawkstar2/281049238601362_**) to get any upcoming info for next chapter! Take care, keep reading!**_

_**~hawkstar2**_


	12. Bring It

**A/N: Ok, so like, amazing news I'm so excited guys! I got approved for my double major (I'll be getting a technical services assistant AND a children's services associate degree!) and I finished first semester with a 4.0 :) And by the way if anyone has seen JP's newest challenge: write a fanfiction of the final chapter of the Maximum Ride series which I totally want to do…but guess what my luck is, I turned 19 on February 6****th****….one of the requirements was to be 18 on the 7****th****…I cried…but at least I still have FF… love ya guys you make me smile and have really helped me to believe that I can write besides journal entries :)**

**Disclaimer: I'm not James Patterson…merely a gigantic humongous enormous fan…**

Chapter Twelve: Bring It

Dylan POV

The barrel of the pistol was hot in my hand after firing the two shots into him, his blood ran onto the ground in a peaceful, successful, meaningful way.

I did it.

I did it. She's mine. Mine forever. My Max…everything I've ever done I've done for you I promise, I swear.

"YOU MONSTER! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" Max's cold, shrill shrieks filled the air like an unwelcome disease, taking me completely by surprise.

"Max, I did this for you, for us, we needed him out. We needed him out of the picture so it could be just you and me. No one else."

Max ignored me and stifled tears as she hoisted a now unconscious Fang up onto her lap. I could barely make out her words:

"Please don't go, Fang. Please, please, please Fang."

My heart stopped. After everything that we've been through, after everything I just did, just for her she still turns to him.

"I. Will. END. YOU." Max's stiff words fell out of her mouth with ease, meaning, promise.

What had I done?

Max POV

What's the truth? Oh my God. In all this commotion the only thing I'm still thinking about is what Fang didn't have the time to say. He was out now, his face expressionless and his body unresponsive. The wounds were deep and the longer I sat here with him the more blood he was losing.

The same blood that ran through me.

I looked up to Dylan with all the rage in the world pulsating through me, enough hatred and pain to take down a whole armada…let alone one person.

"I. Will. END. YOU." The words fell out of my mouth like they were meant to be; I didn't even think about saying them, I didn't waste my time with over exaggerated threats like I usually do. This was personal now. This was Fang.

Dylan's bravado evaporated immediately on my first twitch. I laid Fang down gently on the earth and stood over him expectantly.

Piercing my eyes and all my hatred into Dylan I took him straight on.

"Bring it, Dylan. You really want me? You want _alllll_ this? Come and get it. _Try_ to kick my ass, because it's personal now you mindless punk. Did you really think this was going to get us together? Huh? How stupid could you really be?"

The veins in Dylan's forehead were throbbing out of control, his face not a red shade, more like a reddish-purple hue.

He stared at me for about .2 seconds…

Then…

He dropped the gun.

"You worthless coward. At least Fang would've fought me." I spat out my finishing phrase and launched myself toward Dylan.

Midway through the air I felt my wings extend and catch the breeze, hovering for just an inkling of a second before landing my elbow down as hard as I could into Dylan's collar bone with a satisfying crunch as a hundred pieces of bone shattered into his skin.

He screamed.

I screeched and whaled an iron fist into his jaw, twisting at the last possible second to deliver a roundhouse kick in the same area to finish the job. His lower jaw was obliterated. Purple, puffy, and bleeding he stood before me and slowly raised his hands.

Hung his head.

And dropped to his knees.

"Max, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." His sobs were muffled by his mangled jaw, but I could make out what he was saying very clear.

I've been called many things, but gullible isn't one of them.

I reached down and grabbed the collar of his shirt, yanking him upwards with such a brute force on his collarbone from twisting the shirt that he let out a pained yowl.

"Prove it." I grind my words into him like never before. You say you're sorry? Prove it buster.

His bright eyes widened and grew panicked.

"Max, MAX! LOOK OUT!"

I whipped my head around just in time to see a copter with men in black suits aiming tranquilizer guns right at us.

Before I was even able to drop Dylan and make a run for Fang something stung my neck like a small bee. Reaching up I pulled a 2 inch long needle out of my neck accompanied by a small prick from the hinged needle at the end.

The needle was only half drained of its unnaturally colored neon orange liquid…but this was obviously just enough to take me.

My head grew extremely hot, as if I had a fever, followed by a shroud of blackness.

And I hit the ground.

Grunt POV

"She's down! The other two look manageable, but take them down anyways! Boss's orders!"

Finally, after all these years of hunting, we've finally got them.

Max fell to the ground in such an unexpected, but somehow still graceful way that it was amazing. I don't know how Boss was planning on retaining these mutants, but there was surely some way.

Iggy POV

The bacon and eggs popped in the skillet as I began fixing breakfast. Everyone was able to sleep in miraculously today. I have a theory that it has to do with the fact that we aren't all waiting up until the middle of the night for Max's sobs to be heard throughout the house. I hope Fang comes back just so she stops hurting so bad…and so I have someone I can have a serious conversation with cause we all know the Gasman is nowhere near mature enough to have serious conversations with, like politics. And really Dylan is just kinda, I don't know how to say this…blank?

"Ig?" Nudge's small voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Yeah, mornin' Nudge what's going on?"

"Uh, Dylan left last night…and he didn't come back, or at least I can't find him anywhere…and last night Fang and Max went out together….do you think they're ok?"

Uh-oh. We all knew how fond Dylan was of Fang and vice versa.

"I'm sure they're fine. It's Fang and Max for crying out loud." I said with a nervous laugh. "Go, uh, wake up Gazzy and Angel, 'kay?"

This was not going to end up being a good day.

**A/N: Thank you all so much for reading my FanFictions. It really means the world to me when I see even a few dozen hits on my stories, I am so happy when someone new (or old) favs., reviews, or adds alerts to my stories. I know I haven't been consistent at all with my writing, but for the few who still stick around and to the newbies…THANK YOU FROM THE DEEPEST GRATEFULNESS OF ME!**

**Take care, keep reading!**

**~hawkstar2**


	13. The Transition

**A/N: So guess who is going to go through whatever the hell she has to in order to get to go to New York to see JAMES PATTERSON IN TWO WEEKS! THAT'S RIGHT! THIS GIRL! I am so freaking excited I will stop at nothing to do this. :D Anyways, enjoy the chappie I'm not going to spend a paragraph apologizing for not updating cause I'm pretty sure you're all used to it being there all the time by now…but I really am sorry :/ I went to Germany and that kinda took up a lot of time I should've been typing…gah! Here I go again ok I'm done, let's do this! *PS I love ya guys!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not JP…actually I'm going to see him in a few weeks WOOT WOOT!**

Chapter Thirteen: The Transition

Max POV

I woke up in a soft bed in a semi-dark room with a glass of water and a note on the nightstand next to me.

But the first and only thought that I had was finding Fang.

I ignored the water and proceeded to get out of the bed to explore the room around me and it was about that time that I noticed that my left ankle was attached to the bed with some form of an extremely strong cable.

I let out a long, irritated huff and reached over to read the note on the table:

Max,

I'm glad to see that you managed to arrive to the shelter without any harm. When you have awaken I will be in to brief you shortly.

-J.

There was only one person in the world that I knew that had handwriting like this and the fool was trying to trick me by just signing "J"?

"Hello, Max, I see that you are finally awake and alert."

"Where's Fang at Jeb?"

"We will get to that in due time, Max, first we need to discuss the reason for your arrival."

"No, first we need to discuss where Fang is, then we can discuss me leaving, and then, maybe then, you can discuss with my clone whatever you wanted me to be here for and have a dandy time doing that, huh?"

"Oh, Max, you haven't changed a bit. I'm glad to see it really, losing Fang like that and then to just have him back in your grasp."

"Where. Is. Fang. Jeb."

"Fang died, Max. Dylan delivered a fatal shot to his chest and he was pronounced dead upon arrival into the helicopter that came to retrieve you. Any more questions?"

My heart stopped, but face grew hot, clammy, and I felt like all of whatever was actually in my stomach was going to fall to my feet. I grasped the handrail to prevent myself from falling over and glared at Jeb.

"Yes, one more question: Where is Dylan?"

Jeb gulped a little, obviously not expecting this kind of reaction out of me, which is unbelievable in and of itself.

"Well, you see Max, after you gave him a beating like you did—or I'm assuming that you did—he was required to be placed in a different facility from you. He is and will be a very valuable asset to what the next assignment is, therefore, we can't afford to have any…mishaps."

"What, you think I'm actually going to _work_ with him! HE KILLED FANG! I will NEVER work with him!"

"You will if you don't remember edgewise Max." Jeb's icy glare actually took me aback. If I don't remember edgewise? What's that supposed to mean?

"Let's take a nap, Max, we don't want you to get too worked up about anything and ruin your chances of succeeding."

Before I had time to process what had happened I was attacked from behind, a needle jammed into my hip and a mask affixed over my nose and mouth. The hands that held me prisoner were bigger than my arms and held fast to me until whatever was in the needle had taken affect and the room went black once more.

Jeb POV

"Sir? How did she handle the transition?"

"Oh, how Max always handles things."

"And the news on the black-winged one?"

"Don't mention it to her. She'll find out the truth in due time."

"Yes, sir."

**A/N: I'm writing chapter 14 tomorrow (or later tonight) for sure because I already have it started over on the other side of my computer screen. **

**~hawkstar2**


	14. Murphy's Law

**A/N: Sorry it's a little later than I hoped to upload but a friend of mine needed help painting fake bear claws and it was a lot of fun! **

**Disclaimer: I'm not JP…but I'm seeing him in two weeks!**

**Chapter Fourteen: Murphy's Law**

Fang POV

The subtle beeping of the heart monitor, the dripping of an IV bag, and the steady rise and fall of the oxygen machine as I inhaled and exhaled confirmed my fears that I was indeed back in another hospital.

Or a lab.

Or a dingy basement with genetic experiments in it.

You know the usual.

Max.

Ohmygod. Where's Max.

My eyes bolted awake and I immediately regretted the decision, the bright lights around the room were like looking directly into an LED flashlight and turning it on. Or one of Gasman's cherry bombs.

Crap, is he okay? Iggy, Nudge, and Angel too?

Dylan.

Now it's all clear. That worthless experiment is the reason I'm here. I'm going to kill him. He tried and failed on me, now I'm going to show him how it's really done.

I lifted my right arm to yank the IV out of my left elbow joint; only to realize seconds later that the IV I decided to yank was the one with the morphine…should've left that in a little longer probably. I reached up to remove the oxygen mask and in the process peered across the room, a mere ten feet ahead of me:

Dylan.

You have got to be kidding me. Of all the people to be stuck in a room with it just has to be him, doesn't it? Anything that can go wrong will go wrong I assume.

His face was still mangled and looked like someone had shoved his head in a blender and put it on pulse. I briefly remember floating in and out of consciousness as Max's battle cries echoed around me and Dylan's pathetic whimpers resonated even louder. Then I woke up here, strapped to an IV, bandages covering my entire left side of my torso, tight stitches above an incision just the further part of my ribcage…

Wait.

What have they done? Why are there the beginnings of a scar near my heart?

Panic mode envelopes me as I thrust the sheets off of me to be sure the rest of me is intact—luckily it all is. Hesitantly, with my right hand I reach over my shoulder to assure myself my wings are still there and in one piece. A miniscule heart attack overcomes me when I don't immediately feel my wings, but shortly realize that they were tightly retracted, not from my own accord either.

My cold sweat was subsiding, but with more questions than answers and no obvious way to assess them. To my best knowledge the only other being in the room with me was pretty boy over there (who's honestly not-so-pretty anymore).

I let out a chest-full of air that I hadn't realized I was holding and calmly leaned back against the bed, panicking wasn't going to help solve anything any time soon.

Let's start with what we know:

I'm stuck in some lair with the one person in the world that I hate deep into my being.

I have weird bandages all over my body.

I'm thirsty.

There's an incision around my heart and tight, important stitches around it.

I want to kill Dylan.

I want to find Max.

I'm strapped to a bed…

Okay, now on to what I don't know…

I don't know where Max is.

I don't remember getting here.

I don't know where _here_ is.

I don't know why I have stitches.

I don't remember even ever getting stitches recently.

I don't know why I'm in a room with Dylan.

I don't know how I'm alive after being shot point-blank.

I don't know how I'm going to get out of here.

I don't know where Max is….still.

I don't know who tied my wings together.

I don't know what time it is.

What day it is.

How long I've been here.

I don't remember eating or drinking, but I don't feel hungry, just thirsty.

I don't know if everyone else is okay.

I don't know if _I'm_ even okay.

_I don't know where Max is_.

Sometimes I hate making lists… now I feel like I know less than I thought I did.

But the most important answer I need is to find out where Max is.

Then I can take care of everything and anything else that comes my way.

"Hello, Fang, I'm glad to see that you have come out of your coma rather quickly. Don't worry, you're in good hands now."

That voice. It sounds so familiar.

A door that was disguised as part of the wall opened up to reveal a man with two nurses behind him. My eyes adjusted to the light in time to see the man look up over wide-rimmed glasses.

_Jeb._

My jaw tightened and my eyes narrowed, he was never to be trusted.

"It's been quite a while hasn't it, Fang?"

No response, don't give him the satisfaction.

"Quiet as ever I see, honestly I'm surprised that you've made it this long. The surgeon removed so many bone fragments from underneath your skin we were afraid you had shattered your entire left rib-cage."

"It's not like I planned on it."

"No, you just got in the way of what is meant to happen. You see, Fang, we were gracious in saving you, now you must do your part and get out of the picture."

"Good luck with that, I'm not leaving Max's side ever again."

"Like you did before, hmm Fang? You left Max and didn't even say goodbye. She went without eating, sleeping, socializing with the outside world at all. She fell asleep in your room to feel closer to you when she knew you weren't there. She turned into a shell of a person, her eyes grew shallow, she quit eating for weeks at a time, she wasn't herself. Until Dylan began helping her. He was there for her; he helped her to cope with your abandonment."

"You're a liar! She despises him!"

Jeb made a tsk-tsk noise with his tongue and shook his head disapprovingly.

"You see, Fang, she hasn't told you the whole story."

"Where is she Jeb?"

"She didn't fare as well as you did Fang."

"What do you mean?"

"Dylan shot you, you fell, Max proceeded to give it her all to beat the life out of Dylan. In a pure act of self-defense Dylan blindly shot the pistol."

"No. You're a liar Jeb. Why would you tell me to get out of the way and to leave if Max is gone?"

"You seem to have forgotten about Max's clone, who, while not entirely as capable and advanced as Max was, can learn because she is made of Max's DNA."

This can't be true. I felt as if anything and everything that I had hoped for was a waste now. My chest was burning and felt like there was an eighteen-wheeler parked on my lungs. But I couldn't let Jeb see this. I know he's lying, he has to be lying right now, there's no other explanation.

"Why did you put me in the same room as him?"

"The same room as who Fang? You're in here alone."

I look across my bed where Dylan used to be visible on the other side of the room…

But he was gone.

"Let's take a rest, Fang, this has been quite enough excitement for one sitting."

Jeb detached my morphine bag from the stand as the two nurses who were unnaturally strong for their size did the damndest to detain me while Jeb continued to re-attach my IV and drip a neon-orange liquid in a small IV bag into my veins.

In a matter of seconds I had passed out.

Nurse POV

"Sir? So what do we have to gain by Fang believing now that Max has died and that what he has thought to be real, nothing but an illusion?"

"We will have his fear. Next session we will re-introduce Dylan and make him question whether or not the last conference occurred. The more we continue this the more he will be irresolute and dependent on what we have to say. We will keep modules of our stories the same, and let him come-up with whatever he wants, we either simply agree or disagree and either fuel or disarm his assumptions."

"And Max has no idea that they are in the same unit?"

"And he has no idea Max is even alive."

**A/N: Wow, that's a lot longer than expected…thanks for reading!**

**~hawkstar2**


	15. Implements of Destruction

**A/N: Well, it's been a while; sorry 'bout that guys. I jinxed myself titling last chapter Murphy's Law…8 days before my trip to New York to see JP at the Symphony Orchestra Space I received an e-mail that there was a scheduling conflict and JP was cancelled. The trip was nice in and of itself—just me and my mom—but I'm anxiously awaiting the next chance I get to see him!**

**So what did you all think of Nevermore? IMO it was amazing. I loved every sentence. But no spoilers in this story ;) **

**Without further ado-**

**Disclaimer: I'm not James Patterson this is purely fan-based.**

**Chapter Fifteen: Implements of Destruction**

Max POV

"Maximum."

"Hello? I know you can hear me, can you respond, Sweetheart?"

My eyes fluttered open in a fog; I was in a different white room with crisp, hard white sheets and my ankles fastened to the bed with padded cuffs.

On the roll-around night table beside me was a picture accompanying a note:

Tilting the picture to face me I nearly screamed in shock at the image within the thin plastic frame…

Fang.

But, this wasn't a mug-shot, or a Kodak moment…this was Fang in a coffin.

I slammed the picture face-down onto the table and numbly reached for the note:

_Max,_

_I'm so sorry to have to prove it to you this way, but I had no other choice. I will be in shortly to check your vitals and such. I will be bringing a visitor so be on your best behavior._

_-J._

My best behavior?

This was it. Who the hell does Jeb think he is?

"Hello, Max, glad to see you've awaken."

The intercom was loud and obnoxious with Jeb's voice belting out of it on the other end of the room.

I picked up the picture frame and chucked it with all my might at the intercom.

"Bite me, Jeb."

He wants to play this game then, huh?

"Now, Max, understand that if you act like that when I or your visitor are present we will be forced to put you out in the yard as punishment. The Lupine-hybrids would love to get some exercise on such a nice spring day."

"What do you mean spring?!"

"For the safety of you and those around you, Max, you have been in a drug-induced coma for quite a few months now. The reaction you presented after receiving the news of the death of Fang was deemed highly dangerous and that you must be controlled. In order to convince the council otherwise we were forced to put you into a coma."

"Where's Dylan, Jeb?"

The vacuum seal of the door that looked like part of the wall opened up to reveal Jeb and another figure standing in the doorway.

"What's up Max? Long time no see." Dylan flipped his blonde locks away from his face as he stepped around Jeb to enter my room.

I glared at him with all the hatred in the world in my eyes, "You're gonna die, pretty boy."

Fang POV

It's been months of the same routine over and over again.

One minute I wake up and Dylan is on the other side of the room, heart monitor beeping away and me _this close_ to him, but unable to do anything.

Then other times I wake up with no one in the room.

I don't know what's real anymore and what isn't. Reality and whatever these weird hallucinations are all meshing together and becoming one.

I don't know if I'm in here alone or if Dylan is over there too.

I'm told that Max perished because of an accidental firing of the pistol on Dylan's behalf.

But I don't remember the pistol being shot more than once….or did it?

This is just what the white-coats want: me confused. With confusion they hold fear. And with fear they hold the balance between reality and fiction for me right now.

Iggy POV

Gun powder? Check. Pipe bombs? Check. Spare wire cutters? Check. Food provisions? Check. Hand grenades? Check. Implements of destruction? All accounted for.

I don't know what Max is always griping about, preparing the Flock for an all out rescue mission/invasion isn't that hard.

"Iggy, did you pack Max and Fang and Dylan food as well?" Angel reminded me softly.

Yeah. That too. Enough food for all members of the Flock? Almost a full check.

Shortly after Max, Fang, and Dylan all went missing at the same time we were ambushed and the house destroyed by crazy, blood-thirsty Erasers. We've since been on the run and popping in and out of small towns across the west coast to get knick-knack trinkets and basically anything we can make a weapon out of.

We know the School has them all—big surprise huh?—but we are about 99% certain that it's not at headquarters. We've been there too many times, it's too cliché, predictable, too much of a well-known lay-out of the floor plans.

Nudge was able to hack into the e-mail of a minor nurse at the School and uncover some helpful tips that hint to the new branch of the school to being somewhere in the New Mexico range. They're trying to pull an Area 51 by making a giant under-cover, super secret, no admittance to tourists, government-run facility in the middle of the desert in a vain attempt to not draw attention to themselves.

Unluckily for them—luckily for us—we have a freakishly talented and extremely stealthy hacker in our little group.

I rationed out the last of the food and stuffed it into my bag—Gasman had all the explosives.

"Okay guys, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow, we're doing rescue."

Fang POV

The red light in the corner of the room lit up and made a god-awful buzzing noise early the next morning; I was finally being let out of the room to stretch my wings in the over-sized cage outside.

I didn't mind though, it gave me a chance to check the season and see if I really had been in here as long as I thought I was, as well as formatting an escape plan.

My shackles that were attached to my ankles to the bedposts released remotely from a control tower somewhere near my room and I was able to stand.

When the suction of the door gave way, four large guards were on call to escort me out.

En route I memorized the number of steps to take to each emergency exit. In order to use the doors, an employee badge was required to scan.

But that was going to be easy to obtain.

A swift, hard shove in my back by the burly guards and I was out on the 'playground' with all the other mutant experiments. The air was crisp and clean, definitely spring. All that was visible for miles upon miles was open desert. A gust of wind would come through and spray sand everywhere.

This was going to be a great day.

**A/N: Sorry it can't be longer but I'm about to fall asleep at my keyboard right now and I really wanted to get this update out there. Next chapter's gonna be a doozy!**

**Thanks for reading! Reviews=love ;D**

**~hawkstar2**


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